All lordings that be here present, And hearken me with good intent, How Noah away from us he went, And all his company; And Abraham, through God’s grace, He is comen into this place, And ye will give us room and space To tell you of story. This play, forsooth, begun shall be In worship of the Trinity, That you may all hear and see That shall be done to-day; My name is Gobbet-on-the-Green, With you I may no longer bene; Farewel, my lordes, bydene For letting of your play. The expositor or doctor takes care that the play is “understanded of the people.” He appears early in the play on horseback, and says:-- Lordinges, what maye this signify I will expound it appeartlye, That the unlearned standing here by May know what this may be.[41] [41] Being on horseback, he would, of course, be more easily heard by the crowd. Everything in the play points to the fact that it was looked upon as a means of instruction for the people, and not a mere amusement. The play itself consists of two plays compressed into one, and seems to be one of the oldest of the series. He interrupts at different points, and explains the rite of circumcision and the offering up of Isaac, and then we have the remarkable and significant fact that the crowd joins him in prayer. _Here, let the docter knele downe, and saie_, Such obedience grante us, O Lorde! Ever to thy moste holye worde, That in the same we may accorde As this Abraham was bayne; Then al togaither shall we That worthy kinge in heaven see, And dwell with him in greate glorye, For ever and ever, Amen. His place is now filled by a messenger, who announces the next play. The stage direction is-- _Here the messenger maketh an ende._ Make rombe, lordinges, and give us waye, And let Balacke come in and plaie, And Balame that well can saie To tell you of prophescie. That Lord that died on Good Frydaie, He save you all bouth nighte and daie! Fare well, my lordinges; I goe my waie, I may no longer abyde. The ordinary reader has little or no idea of the literary and dramatic value of the plays, owing to the fact that printed copies are not easily accessible. I have thought it well, therefore, to print (in a slightly shortened form) and to explain the following play. It embodies most of the points mentioned in this article, it has distinct literary and artistic value, and, above all, the character of Herod made it the most popular play of the cycle, and is often alluded to. Shakespeare uses the phrase “out-Heroding Herod.” Chaucer says of Joly Absalon:-- Sometyme to shewe his lightness and maistrye He pleyeth Herodes on a scaffold hye.